The Search
by AlternatePlatform
Summary: A group of unlikely allies come together during the Fire Nations 100 Year War to try and find the one thing the world needs: The long-lost Avatar. This is a AU story, where the Fire Nation is close to conquering the Earth Kingdom and preparing to invade the Northern Water Tribe. A small group of Air Nomads are also still alive and in hiding somewhere in the world.
1. 1 - Prologue & Xiang

_**Fire Air Water Earth**_

_**Long ago, the four nations lived together in harmony. Then everything changed when the Fire Nation attacked.  
>Only the Avatar, master of all four elements, could stop them. But when the world needed him most, he vanished.<strong>_

_**No one has seen the avatar in a hundred years. Now with the Fire Nation closing in on Earth Kingdom capitol;  
>their goal of total control of the world almost finished, The world needs him the most.<strong>_

I put down the book and stretched. My body was stiff from sitting still for so long; I glanced at the candle to find it on the last band. I had been sitting in the library for five hours. I sighed and stood up, it was probably late and the others were probably all asleep, except perhaps Abbot Tenzin who was on his fast. I put the book back on the shelf and picked my way over the burnt out wrecks of several stacks on the way to the exit.

The Eastern Air Temple whistled eerily as the wind was the only thing roaming these halls. Not even the lemurs dared come back here. I looked around the abandoned halls with a pang in my heart. This was the home of my people, and yet we lived in exile out of fear that the fire nation would come here again and finish what they started 100 years ago. I passed what once what I've been told was a beautiful mural of Avatar Yangchen, now just a burnt out hole in the stone.

I glanced at the hole; I knew most of my people blamed the Fire Nation for our exile, forced to scrape a living from Earth Kingdom villages and untouched wilds that were slowly getting smaller, but there were some who blamed the last Avatar, a young boy named Aang who ran away from this temple and disappeared, supposably al because he did not want to move away from his mentor Monk Gyatso. I couldn't blame Aang for not wanting to leave his home and family, and the war had not started by then. But he had not been seen for 100 years. Even if he had been mastering his powers in that time he would have come out from hiding by now, or have been found by someone else.

I looked down and patted the old leather satchel hanging from my side, containing scrolls and ancient toys I had collected from around the temple and the library. The Avatar would not abandon the world, so Aang must have died sometime in the past, which meant there was a new avatar out there, waiting to be discovered.  
>And I was going to do it.<br>Of course my family and friends didn't know about this, and they would try to stop me if they could. I had to leave now, not only because right now there would be no one to stop me. I had heard from a Earth Kingdom merchant that the Fire Nation was closing in on Ba Sing Se, and if the city fell-  
>I had to leave, and I had to leave now. I had to find the Avatar soon, or else the world was doomed.<p> 


	2. 2 - Byron

I watched as the colonist's debated, and soon argued, on what to do about the incoming invasion. The Fire Nation's forces were closing in fast, their numbers far greater than our own. They would march across our territory like it was nothing, burning down the forest and us with it. Only ash would remain, and I knew this all too well. My father, however, did not.  
>People were panicking. It was easy to see, no matter how they let it out. Some cried, some shouted, and a few just kept it in, but either way it was clear that we all subconsciously knew the same thing - if we did not run, we would not survive.<p>

"Enough!" my father, the leader of our colony, bellowed. Silence fell like a drape, and all eyes shot to his. I watched in secret from the roof of our hut, not wanting to get dragged down for another debate. They sometimes went on for hours. "I hear speak that we should run and hide from the Fire Nation. That we should cower in fear, like animals! Well, we cannot! We must show strength and courage! Then, we will win! We will drive them back!"  
>I rolled my eyes. Showing strength would get us killed.<p>

"They are many, Kang!" shouted a bystander from the back of the crowds "And we are, what, a few hundred? We will be marching to our deaths!" The crowd roared in challenge at my father, and he did his best to combat it.

"Yes, we will die if we blindly run at the Fire Nation! But if we use our wits, we stand a chance! A strong chance!" He tried to reason with the crowds, but I didn't wait to see if it worked. I gave a huff, and jumped from the roof and swiftly made my way into our hut.  
>The huts our colony used we made of wood, stone and cloth, and though many would turn their noses up at such a primitive structure, it was actually pretty cosy. I stormed through the front door with a frustrated 'ugh', and made my way to my room. Unfortunately, my mother caught my scent before I could escape to my nest.<p>

"Byron, where have you been?" she asked authoritatively, and although i was a good foot taller than her, the sound of her voice still made me shit a brick. I turned, my eyes wide - I just remembered I had been gone without letting her know for a good few hours, and she was the protective type of parent. You know the one. Staying out after curfew was suicide.

"Hunting." I blurted, and she raised her eyebrows.

"And you didn't catch anything?" she asked in a sarcastic tone - she saw right through me. I gave my brain a moment to follow up my lie, but quickly gave up. I sighed, and explained myself.

"Father is arguing with the colony again." I grumbled.

"I know." my mother then purred, taking a step towards me, but my eyes looked to the ground in defeat.

"But why? We should just leave!" I then shot at her "We cannot fight an entire Nation! We're just a tiny village! How are we supposed to fight them, what makes him think that he-" but my mother placed a soft finger onto my lips, and it shut me up better than a thump to the gut.

"He will come to his senses eventually, Byron." she assured with a smile "For now, let him do what he is here to do - be a leader." I looked her in the eyes but didn't say anything, and she removed her finger and walked off to continue with whatever she was doing.

"Still stupid..." I mumbled to myself, pouting like a brat.

"You should watch with more interest, Byron." she then finally added "Soon you'll have to take his place. It might be worthwhile learning how to now." I rolled my eyes again. I hated being reminded of my inevitable responsibility to lead the colony. I wanted to explore the world, not stay in the same old woods in the same old village, living in the same old hut with the same old people for the rest of my life. But whenever I tried to explain this to my father, he just didn't understand. 'Why would you want to go explore the world?' he'd say in disbelief. He only saw danger and disgust in the outside world and what it had to offer, because that's exactly what his father taught him, and so on. But I knew better.  
>And that's when he burst in through the door like a dragon.<p>

"Bastards! They just won't listen to me! How am I supposed to help us survive this war, if they won't let me!?" he barked, stomping around the house like an angry bear, before falling down onto his chair with a grunt. He rubbed his tired face with his great, big, dirty paws, and gave a tired, annoyed sigh. I remained silent throughout the whole thing. I could still hear the crowds outside.

"Here you go, darling." my mother said warmly, handing him a hot cup of green tea.

"I only wish the young men of the colony were as good a warrior as you, Byron. Then we'd stand a chance, at least!" he huffed and puffed, but there was still a sense of pride in his voice as he glanced at me.

"Are you saying we don't stand a chance as we are?" I asked with a frown, and my father looked at me again, this time slightly angrily. He gave a deep breath through his nose, the noise reminding me of a gorilla, and he gestured me closer. I was either in for a hiding, or an explanation. it was hit and miss really, if you'll excuse the pun.

"Byron," he began, his tone slightly hushed "I love this colony, I love it's people, I love your mother and I... I love you, son. But if we are actually going to survive this invasion, we have to fight back."

"Why not run? Rebuild in a safer place? We did it once, we can do it again." I debated strongly, but my father bit back with a vengeance.

"We must show strength!" he repeated unknowingly, as if we was just arguing with the people of the colony again "If we use our wit, and the environment to our advantage, we can drive them back! We know these woods, these trees, these hills. That's an advantage we cannot ignore!"

"If we go to battle it won't matter how smart we fight, Father. If we stalk them in the bushes they will burn them to ash. If we fire at them from the trees they will shoot fire back at us until they fall with us still in them. And the Earth Benders, you said it yourself, we just aren't that strong! I've seen the warriors train. It is an embarrassment, father!" he gave me an angry look, but I was too far gone already "We cannot go to war because we will all bur-" but i stopped by a firm whack to the side of the head, and I shut up once more. My mother scorned him, but my father ignored.

"Know your place, son!" he snapped, finger pointed "Or so be it I'll cut out that overactive tongue of yours!" I clutched the side of my face, but looked at him with spite in my eyes.

"If you don't swallow your pride soon, Father, you're going to choke on it." I hissed, and his eyes widened/ His arm raised again, but my mother stopped him swiftly by hardening the mud all over his body, stopping him for a moment. He glanced at her, and then gave a frustrated roar before smashing the mud around him with his own bending and storming off, slamming the door behind him. Mother quickly rushed over.

"I will be having words with him, Byron!" he said worriedly, trying to tend to the bruise, but I quickly batted her off and left myself without saying a word, chasing my father down. "Byron!"

"What about the Avatar!" I yelled at the top of my lungs at my father, and he turned his head quickly, his mouth wide as if I had just cursed at him. "The Avatar can save us!" It was only then that I had realised the whole of the colony was staring up at me as I stood on the top of the platform our hut sat on. Their expressions were just like my father's.

"The Avatar's been dead for a hundred years, Byron!" came a rugged voice from the crowd.

"Aye, they ain't comin' back!" another yelled. I processed everything for a minute, but decided to voice my thoughts.

"I don't believe the tails! I believe the Avatar still lives! We just need to find them!" my father then bellowed with laughter, and it caught me by surprise. He lurched his way over, and placed a strong, heavy arm round my shoulder.

"Ah, Byron! You never fail to spread light on the situation, always making us laugh!" he chuckled loud enough for everyone to hear. He was attempting to make me sound like I was joking - to belittle me.  
>I shoved his arm off of me, and pushed him away.<p>

"No! I am not joking! I'm serious!" I bellowed just as loud as my father "I'll go! I'll find the Avatar, and I then i will return! I promise!"

"Where will you even go?" a voice laughed "You don't even know the world outside of this woods, child!" I scrunched up my face in anger, and as my father tried to walk me into the house and away from the heckling crowd, and weaved my way under his towering figure and closer to the crowds.

"Ba Sing Se!" I announced "That's where I'll go! And I'll find someone to help me! I don't know how long I'll be, but in the meantime you must flee to safety!"

"NO!" my father then roared "We must fight the Fire Nation! We must show stre-"

"If you fight the Fire Nation it won't matter how you do it, you will die! They are stronger than us, and we are unprepared! So run! Pack your things now and RUN!" I could feel the heat radiating from my father's body as his authority was challenged, and it was only worsened when he saw that some people were actually doing what I was saying. Some turned to many, and many turned to all. I looked at my father with a blank, almost scared expression. His face was that of a demon. I quickly fled to the barracks, where I donned some war paint and a spear, and hopped over the colony walls in secret after assisting a few folk as they readied themselves for evacuation. Some asked me where to go and what do once they had left, but I could not give them an answer.  
>Ba Sing Se wasn't far. I'll be there soon.<p> 


	3. 3 - Xiang

I soared over the treetop on my glider, bending the air to pick it up when it started to dip towards the green. I had made it a good way from the temple, enough that by the time my family found the note and chased after me, even on the bisons, I'd be in Ba Sing Se. I had checked the maps before I left and again when I landed for a break. I'd be in the EarthKingdom capital in two, three days. Once I made it there I'd start searching for the Avatar, or someone who knew where to look; maybe I could find someone to help me in my quest.

I cleared a high line of tree's and saw a little village just ahead, the people rushing around like ants. They looked like they were in a panic so I dipped the glider, soaring over the last few tree's, the clearing between the forest and the village in a few seconds.

I landed in the middle of the village, most people stopping to stare at me; I saw allot of them go for weapons or earth bend some rocks, ready to fire.  
>"Hey, I'm a friend. I'm an airbender," I said, not hesitating to reveal who and what I was. I could tell by the look of these people they were free EarthKingdom citizens, not Fire Nation subjects.<p>

"The air benders are dead!" someone yelled, a few others joining in. I sighed, did they not just see me glide in.

"Look-" a chill ran through my spine. I spun and raised my hands, blocking a spear with a gust of wind and entrapping the wooden weapon. Before anyone else could react and attack me I spun the weapon around and launched it back at it's thrower, embedding the wood in the hut next to his head. I didn't mean to get the weapon so close to his head, but hopefully that intimidated him enough to pause.

"He really is an airbender."

"No way, I thought they were all dead."

"No way, my grandfather saw the temple burning. No way anyone survived that."

I stood up straight, holding my staff just in case. A large man pushed through the crowds towards me, an angry look on his face, but something in his eyes I didn't trust.  
>"Who are you and where do you come from?" the man asked, not too kindly.<p>

"My name is Xiang, I'm from a group of Air Nomads that escaped the Fire Nation Genocide of my people."

"So why are you here?"

"I'm looking for the avatar."

The crowd broke into whispered conversations around me, the man who thrown the spear at me standing up straighter, his face alarmed, and excited. The large man however, looked angry.

"The avatar is dead! So I ask again, why are you here?"

"I was on my way to Ba Sing Se to look for the Avatar," I said again, smirking when I saw the man's eye twitch at the last part. "I was flying overhead and I saw everyone in a panic, so I thought I'd come down and see if I can help."

"We don't need your help, or anyone's help. We shall manage just fine on our own."  
>"But-"<p>

"Now leave!" The man shouted, taking a step towards me. Instinctively I raised my hand and blew him back, harder then I meant he flew through the wall of one of the huts.

"Oops," I said, unfurling my glider to quickly get out of there before the man got up. Before I could launch myself into the sky someone grabbed me by the wrist. It was the man who threw the spear at me.

"Wait."

He clutched my wrist tight enough to make me wince. My eyes shot to him, but as much as I struggled I could not escape his grip. The man turned and looked at the hole the large man, I guess he was the chief, had fallen through with a crash, the air filling with gasps and whispers that soon turned to yelling.

"Let go," I commanded, wriggling like a worm in the mans grip.

"You come to my home, attack my father, and you think you can just... leave!?" the man growled, insult and disgust running plain on hid face.

"I didn't mean to-" I tried to explain, but he threw me to the floor with a crash, a single hand gripping my throat. I tried to pry his hand away, eyes starting to water as I watched the man hold out his hand, someone placed his spear inside it, and the man pointing its head at mine. It was then that the chief came storming back, even angrier than before. The whispering turned to intense roaring and crying.

"HOW DARE YOU!" the chief exploded, and the crowds parted like curtains as he marched his way to the man and I.

"I'm just trying to find the avatar, I didn't mean to-!" but the man gripped tighter before I could finish.

"You'd be wise to hush, Air bender." he warned. All of a sudden the ground beneath me opened up and enveloped me like a quilt of earth, disabling me completely.

I tried to get out of the earth, starting to panic. Fears and regrets chased each other through my head as my breathing started to get faster and faster, my heart racing. Suddenly the chief was standing over me, drawing a demonic looking sabre. I began to wail and howl as he placed the blade near my head, the crowd adding their voices to my din, creating a horrifying air.

"No."

I swear my heart stopped. I looked down to see the young man standing in front of his father, arm out holding the large man back.

"Do not kill the boy," he said calmly, lowering his arm. his father went red in the face as it scrunched up in anger

"You question my authority, boy? Shut up and-"

"NO! He does not wish to harm us! Look at him! He's helpless! He even came down to help!"

"He almost killed you!"

"Not intentionally! And I almost killed him, too. So consider that one even."

The man stomped on the ground and the stones holding me fell apart into dark sand; I jumped to my feet and blew my staff into my hand, holding it out in front of me ready for any of the spears or rocks aimed at me.

I bellowed to the crowd, and in the silence turned to the boy.

"Xiang?" he asked.

"Y-yes."

"Byron." he replied, and then looked around at his father "I, too, am searching for the Avatar. I'm going to Ba Sing Se."

My eyes widened, his father gave a groan before shouting at the crowds to move along.

The man, Byron walked up to me so only I heard him say "let's go somewhere a bit quieter."


	4. 4 - Vica

"Vica, something's happening outside. Some big commotion about an air bender" Mother said, peaking her head round the door and smiling. She was a strong black haired woman, since my father left far too many men have tried to be my new dad, they all left with a broken face. Mother was always too kind to me. It's a shame father never came back. She needs him.

My meditation was interrupted, but my breathing kept its slow pace. I was sitting cross legged underneath the blacksmith's forge that was connected to our hut.  
>The room was surrounded with candles with a burning red and orange ceiling, it was directly below the forge. The embers above me and the candles changed in size with each breath I made. The embers fluttered and danced around me in the most beautiful patterns.<p>

"I'm going to go take a look, okay. Take my place." I got up and the candles began to whither and die, the embers crumbled into nothing. My mother then sat down in the exact spot I was and the flames burst back into life. Our fire bending keeps the forge alive.

"Be back in half an hour." She ordered. I smiled at her and giggled as she closed her eyes and began meditating. The flames growing even more around her than when I was sitting there.

I jumped up the stairs and flipped out the window, spinning 180 degrees as I flipped through the gap in our hut. As I flew halfway out the window I picked up my chain blades, housed neatly in a sword scabbard that was lying on the window. A birthday gift from mother a few years ago. I slapped it onto my hip when I landed and headed out.

It was a simple little hut my home was, mud and brick, four rooms, big porch and a huge ass forge with a stone roof and chimney, and a big stone sign with an anvil and hammer carved into it. But it gets boring for me these days.

Why can't mother just let me leave. I want to be better, I want to see and do more. This little colony sucks.

I ran to a big crowd. A real life air bender? From outside? This I gotta see.

Then I felt a sudden thud and I was on the floor. It was the prince. I ran straight into his chest and he knocked me over by just walking there. Ah shit, I better not be in trouble, I thought. But instead he just walked straight past me.

"Ever so sorry prince Byron. I'll be on my way, please forgive me. I have deliveries." I lied, then I got up and bowed to the man as I was already stumbling away. Byron Said nothing. He just walked off with some funny looking guy. Probably best I not get involved.

I made it onto the crowd and everyone was just leaving.

"Hey, did I miss it?" I asked one of the guards who were just dispersing the crowd.  
>"The air bender? Yup, Prince Byron just left with him..." The man replied.<p>

My excitement just died away.

"Bwah?" I said in confusion and looked behind me and they were gone. I didn't even get a good look at the air guy...


	5. 5 - Xiang

"So is this how you greet all your guest or am I just lucky?" I asked, pointing at Byron's spear. "And is your dad this friendly to strangers all the time?"

"You show up out of nowhere at a bad time, say your something that we all thought dead for a hundred years then blew my father away when he told you to leave."

"I said it was an accident. He threatened me so I reacted."

"He stepped towards you."

"I thought he was going to hurt me."

"Hey Prince! Wait up!"

Byron and I turned to the black haired man running after us. Byron rolled his eyes when he saw the man but stood his ground.

"What do you want Vica?"

"Is this the airbender?" the man asked, looking at me. I glared at the man, feeling like an animal in a zoo.

"Yes he is, and I need to talk to him."

"Is this about that whole 'looking for the avatar' thing again?"

"Yes it is. Turns out he's looking for the Avatar as well. Now-"

"What here?"

"No. he saw the village and thought he could help us."

"We don't need-"

"Quite!" I said, pushing between the two. I starred at the forest just beyond the gate, something not feeling right. "Do you hear that?"

They both looked around. "I don't hear anything, except the forest."

"Me eith- Wait."

the man, Vica I think, and I looked at Byron. He was looking out through one the gates. There was a faint rumbling coming from that way, as if a great herd of beasts were on the move.

"I'm going to have a look," I said, unfurling my glider. I said to the two, "warn the village, I have a bad feeling," before kicking off the ground, blowing myself high up into the air and onto an air current heading towards the sound.

I covered the forest quickly, looking for whatever was making the nose. I was hoping it was just a herd of beasts. There was no smoke, which usually preceded a Fire Nation army, but that thought did not settle the pit in my stomach.

I cleared the forest, and my heart fell. A large column of Fire Nation was coming towards the village. Armoured soldiers marching next to rhino's and captured ostrich horses pulling siege weapons and caged carts.

I quickly turned around and headed back to the village, landing in the centre once again amongst a panicked crowd.

"EVERYONE!" I shouted, trying to catch their attention. "The Fire Nation is coming this way! The Eastern Air Temple is a days walk from here. If you hurry you can get ahead of the Fire Nation!"

"They'll outrun us before we can get past the forest!" Byron yelled, running up to me. "We'll never make it to the temple!"

"They've got cavalry, cages and siege weapons. They can't get those through the forest quickly."

"They'll still outrun us. Besides, they attacked the temple once, they can do it agin."  
>"Not this time. And if they are forced to retreat there are enough bisons to get everyone out of here safely."<p>

"And go where?" Byron's dad asked, storming over to us. "We escaped once and came here. We escape again and where do we go!"

"I don't know!" I shouted back, unfurling my glider. "But your people can't stay here! Now I'm going to do something that I've been warned against my whole life and go fight the Fire Nation, maybe buy you and your people some time!"  
>"What!" Byron said, utterly shocked. "You'll-"<p>

"Reveal that air benders are still indeed alive in a bid to save this village! yes!" I shouted before throwing my glider in the air and running after it. The glider did a loop in the air; as it completed the circle I caught up with and leaped, catching the wood and canvas and taking off into the sky.

I found the Fire nation army easy enough, just short of the forest. I flew under the canopy and landed lightly before rushing out of the foliage.

"HOLD!" I shouted. The Fire Nation general stopped his rhino and held up a closed fist, the army stopping behind him.

"Who goes there!" the general yelled back, urging his rhino forward so he stood apart from his army and closer to me. I took a deep breath to calm my nerves, shaking like I was in a deep winter. I knew I was taking a massive risk not only for Byron's village but for my own people, but there was no need to involve my family.

"Xiang, the Last Airbender!"

The generals reply was a short cruel laugh. "The airbenders are dead boy."

"Allow me to prove you wrong!" I swung my staff, kicking up a large gust that knocked the general, his rhino and the first few ranks of the army on their arses while knocking the rest of the army backwards a few steps.

I took advantage of the disorientation to throw more gusts of air at the rhino's and their riders who started to charge at me. A fire ball sailed past me into a tree and burst, lighting the poor tree like a candle. More fireballs came at me, followed by soldiers and rhino's. I went purely on the defensive, sending sweeping bursts of air and concentrated gusts to knock back all attacks. For every inch the Fire Nation advanced they lost just as easily.

Over the bursts of air and the roar of men, beast and fire I heard the general shouting orders. A shadow covered me and flew past. Men yelled, some fled and the general let out a scream before he went silent, followed by a deep rumbling roar.

"Annon!" I yelled in delight, My sky-bison roared in reply and ran towards me, sending men and rhino flying. He cleared the small clearing between me and the Fire Nation in two short bounds, and once he reached me licked me head to toe with one swipe of his tongue.

"Good to see you too buddy."

"FOR THE FIRE LORD!" A Fire Nation solider yelled as he ran at us, a fire ball forming in his hand. Anon lifted his large flat tail and smacked it on the ground, airbending the man and a large group of men, rhino and a siege engine away. I laughed and shook some of the saliva off my hands. With Annon I felt like I could take on the whole army.


	6. 6 - Vica & Byron

Vica's POV

"Oh no..." I gasped in disbelief. I pushed past Prince Byron and ran.

I had to get back to the forge. What are we going to do? I ran as fast as my legs could carry me, launching over fences and vaulting through windows.  
>"Shit shit shit shit shit!" I repeated.<p>

"Mother!" I yelled through the door, while smashing it open. Mother flicked her wrist as a sign for me to come in. That was something she used to do when she was pissed off with me.  
>"I know, I have to protect the village from the fire nation Vica, I'm not letting seven generations of our hard work go down the drain." She replied with fire in her eyes. With every anger filled word she spoke the forge fired up a little. She then clasped my hands and looked me dead in the eyes.<br>"Vica, if this doesn't end well I want you to leave. I want you to go, go anywhere, anywhere the fire nation won't find you. Do you understand? You are not fire nation. You are not one of them." She ordered.  
>"Yeah, sure..." I replied. Unsure what to make of her request. I then saw her pick up her favourite sword and attach it to her hip. She smiled at me as she then pushed my travelling bag into my chest, I put it on without question, while also checking the fittings around my belt for the scabbard that housed my chain blades.<br>"It'll be alright Vica. Just remember everything I've taught you." She assured me. I felt nervous and my hands began to shake.

The rumbling of the fire nations march began to get louder. They were getting close.  
>Mother and I stepped out the hut and viewed the distant orange glow on the horizon. While other people panicked we seemed calm. We could do this.<p>

I looked at her, she was wearing armour. Armour I had never seen before, with the armour she didn't look dainty and weak, she appeared strong with a look in her eye like she could take on the whole fire nation. Her long black hair darted and danced in the wind. The armour she wore was dark and metallic, made from a type of steel the was almost flame retardant in it's creation, also being incredibly light, ideal for swift movement... It's like she prepared for this.  
>"I'm sure she'll be fine." I reassured myself.<p>

Byrons POV

I ran into the centre of the village, climbing up onto the pedestal I stood on before and announcing the news to everyone.

"Everyone! Get what you have and run! The Fire Nation is here!" I screamed, and although there was a moment of confusion at first, a sea of panic quickly ensued. My mother and father came up to me from behind, the same stern expression on my father's face. I turned to them, standing up straight, and explained myself.

"There, on the horizon," I pointed, and they noted the orange glow we could see just above the wall "There isn't much time. The Air bender has gone to try and stall their forces a bit, but I doubt it will be long, or if he will even survive."

"Then we must help buy time as well!" father growled, punching his fists together and grabbing his sabre. My mother tried to stop him, but he shrugged her off his shoulder and quickly announced for all the warriors to make their way into the village square. I was worried, but what my father suggested was making sense.  
>He explained how the warriors would fight to keep the Fire Nation's forces from advancing, sticking to the trees and cliffs. Height was our advantage here, and we sat atop a hill.<br>In the small bunch of crowds, i noticed Vica in the back, a worried expression on his face, as if his mind was on something else. I'd never seen Vica use any kind of bending before, and his constant shuffling suggest his thoughts were elsewhere.

"Psst." I whispered to him as I stood aside my father, and his eyes flicked to me. I nodded my head to the right, and after his brain had processed the gesture, he mouthed a 'thank you' and scampered away unnoticed.

"All women and children will be escorted to safety by my wife." My father concluded "is that clear?"

"Yes, Sir!" the warriors barked in unison, and my father's eyes glanced to mine.

"Find your Air bender friend, Byron." he instructed calmly "Return swiftly with information." I gave the mammoth of a man a nod as he shoved my spear into my hand, and I jetted off into the woods.


	7. 7 - Kayli

I'd been following the army for almost a week as they drilled their way through the countryside. I had no idea what they were after, but they were after something, and I wanted to make sure whatever it was wasn't of any value to me before they took it. I'd caused them a little strife on the journey, poisoned food, rocky beds, broken siege engines and loosed mounts. I could imagine they were rather sick of the journey by now, but they kept on. And now it appeared they'd found what they wanted, an air bender. I actually had no idea if that's what they were after or not, but it seemed the logical conclusion considering who they were fighting now.

I hung back, watching the battle, the only casualties coming when a rhino or siege engine fell onto a soldier. It didn't seem like the air bender had it in him to go on a full on offensive, instead batting away the soldiers with his six legged flying cow. I figured it might be in my interest to help the air bender and his fluffy companion, and if not, I'd just kill him myself. Standing from where I was crouched on a rocky ridge, I lifted my hands into the air, getting into a fighting stance, several chunks of rock rising around me, floating gently in a circle, orbiting my still form. And then I lurched forward, flinging myself off of the cliff-like outcropping. I dropped at least sixty feet, slamming into the ground like a fleshy meteor, sinking immediately over my head into the rock and dirt, parting it to soften my fall.

With a roar, I burst from the ground, bringing massive chunks of rock with me, hurling them through the army as if they were made of cotton. The attack caught them entirely off guard, the men didn't know how to react to the sudden carnage, shards of stone flying forth from the stones still orbiting me, skewering them through whatever body part happened to get in the way, tearing through armour, flesh, and bone. I lifted my hands into the air, slamming them down a moment later, sharpened spears of stone erupting from the ground all around me, spreading outward like a shockwave, blood, bodies, armour, and weapons were thrown and tossed like rag dolls on a stormy sea. By the time the troops realized where the bloodshed originated I was already moving, cutting through the ranks as I ran, trying to get to the air bender, around which the army seemed to be converged.

The ground erupted like a pool of water had been disturbed. Rock, stones and the grass and men attached to them were sent flying, followed by blood and body parts as I charged through the Fire nation ranks, straight to the air-bender.

The air-bender raised his staff and took a defensive stance, preparing for an attack I had no intend on giving him. I emerged from the Fire Nation army, rocks spinning around me. I punched the air and spread my hand, one of the rocks shattered into pieces in response, piercing Fire Nation and their rhino's alike. Blood and bodies continued to pile up as I ran towards the air-bender, closing the gap quickly; the idiot stood their dumbstruck as I approached.

I slid to a stop in front of him. Grabbing him by the shirt I threw the air-bender to the ground while raising a large rock with my other hand. A fireball passed between us, right where his head had been just seconds ago; I hurled the rock into the Fire Nation army as the air-bender followed the fireball, mouthing 'woah.'

I let the boy go and bent the ground between us and the army, lifting it up into a wall. A fire bender came around the side, fire daggers in hand. I raised my hand to deal with when a gust of air shot out from behind me, collecting the soldier and carrying him into three of his friends.

"I'm Xiang!" the air-bender shouted as he jumped to my side, staff raised.

"Shut up and fight," I spat, slowly building a wall out of bloodied dirt and whatever carnage was stuck in it, hardening it as it grew while continuing the offensive against those around us, forming a protective barrier to shield from the long range attacks that rained down from time to time. I noticed more and more people joining the fight, other earth benders for the most part and a pair of fire benders fighting back against the tide of fire nation, confusing the oncoming hordes, leading them to falter in their advance. I noticed one man in particular, built like a mountain and bending far more ferociously than any of his colleagues. Seeing this as a challenge, I upped my game, striking out harder and faster from the cover of what had become a stone wall two yards thick, five high and stretching at least twenty long as I had moved to more populated battle locations. I could see blood and steel and body parts in the stone but paid it no mind as I continued on, taking chunks from it as I went to pelt the endless army with gravely shrapnel.

It was only after a solid hour of battle that the ranks thinned, fire nation soldiers retreating in panic as a horn was sounded. I dared not follow, the battle having taken too much of my energy to pursue, even my bloodlust had let up a bit and I didn't even bother shooting stones after the retreating troops. I looked about to find the wounded taken cover behind my wall, which stretched in a zigzagging pattern across the battlefield, dividing it in two, several holes along its length made by fellow earth benders who needed a pass through.

"Come on! They're on the run!" the air bender yelled from atop the wall, pointing with his staff to the backs of the enemy.

"No they're not," the mountain man growled, stomping hard enough to cause the air bender to lose his balance and fall from his perch, landing easily with the aid of his air.

"They're going back to resupply and get more troops, that was only one unit of their army," I added in, crossing my arms and leaning against a dead rhino.

"How would you know?" The air bender asked, "That looked like an army to me, and a beaten one at that!"

"Because I've been following them for the last two weeks," I responded, causing the boy to glance to the large earth bender man.

"She's not one of mine," He responded to the implied question.

"I don't see you trying to execute her," The air bender replied snidely, a reference I didn't get.

"Watch your tongue," Said a muscular young man, he was covered in blood and carried a spear at his side. I could tell immediately that he shared some characteristics with the large man who seemed to be in charge by everyone's body language.

"Fine fine, but an apology would be nice," The air bender said, motioning in a 'settle down' fashion with his hands.

"For what and why?" The large man laughed, his voice booming out like a boulder rolling down a mountain.

"I kind of just saved your village, a little appreciation would be nice," He said with a shrug.

"You'd have died before we got here if it wasn't for this young lady," The man continued laughing. I just snorted as the air bender looked over to me, obviously a little annoyed to have the spotlight stolen.

"They'll be back soon, what's the plan now?" The man with the spear interrupted the back and forth.


	8. 8 - Vica

I escaped the colony with the women and children, my mother and the leaders wife lead the group. She knew the land really well, she'd also visited the Air temples a few times for some spiritual fire bending rituals she did. As she led the group I guarded the back, waiting in case any others joined us.

But we were ambushed by fire nation, half a legion of fire benders. They approached us from the front, emerging from burning trees and then wrapped around the group on the left and right. My mother sent a blast of fire through the air, the FIRE dissipated when it hit the ground behind me at the back of the group, creating a path for us to go back on.  
>I then heard whispers and shocks within the group. "She's a fire bender?" "Traitor!" "How is she doing that?"<br>"I'll hold them off! You lead them back to the colony, these people are in no shape to fight." My mother commanded to the leaders wife.

I didn't reply, I didn't have time to. The fire nation troops did not even hesitate to attack us, they sent balls of fire in the direction of the women and children. And then there was my mother, she created fists in her hand, aiming them at the floor and then releasing her fists into the air. The incoming fireballs from all directions were blocked by a dominating twelve foot wall of flame that surrounded the group. The last memory of my mother I ever had was just then as I watched her be enveloped by her own fire bending.  
>Just before I lost sight of her I remember her mouthing the words "I'm sorry"...<p>

I snapped out of it.  
>"THIS WAY!" I yelled, I picked a child who's mother was too weak to carry. We ran as fast as our legs could carry us. I didn't have time to think, I just ran. The wall of fire mother created gave us half a minute at the most. On the way back I remember hearing those of us at the back screaming from the flames of the fire nation behind us.<p>

"The earth benders will help." I thought.

"HEADS UP!"  
>A wall of air and dust billowed over the villagers and the fire, knocking back the wall. Something landed between us and the flames, slamming its large beaver-like tail into the ground, a wall of air rising up to meet the wall of fire.<p>

The warriors of our village jumped off the creatures back towards us, Byron and the chief not far behind him. I saw the air-bender standing on the giant, bison, watching the fire with his staff in hand. Someone else was standing with him, someone I didn't recognize.

I stood apart from the vilage, glancing among them. Everyone was scared, sorrow wipe on their faces for those already lost; every now and then I saw someone fix me with a dirty look and whisper to whoever they were talking to, that person also giving me a dirty look.

I sighed and looked up at the air-bender and the stranger. I could see them talking, the air-bender turning around to look as the villagers, but I couldn't hear what they were saying.

I saw the look on the air-benders face. He knew we couldn't escape the Fire Nation, couldn't reach the Air Temple before they caught us, and everyone else knew it as well.  
>I lowered my head, trying not to fall to my hands and knee's as the realization we were going to die hit me.<p>

"Oi."

I look up to find Byron standing besides me, concern written on his face; just concern, he musn't have heard of my mothers skill yet.

"Come with me," he said, turning and walking over to the air-bender and the stranger. I hesitated and looked around at the villagers before chasing after him. The air-bender was talking energetically to the stranger as Byron and I climbed the bison's large tail, just catching the last few words of the air-benders conversation.

"Hopefully It'll buy these people some time."  
>"I don't care about these people, I care about-"<p>

"What's the plan?"

Both of them jumped and turned around, ready to strike. The air-bender relaxed and sighed when he saw us; the stranger didn't move from her stance.

I'm going to give the Fire Nation a reason to chase me and not your village, but I may need your help," the air-bender said quickly.  
>"What do you need?" Byron asked without hesitation, a steel to his eyes.<br>"I'm going to pretend to be the avatar."

"What?" The three of us asked in unison.

The air-bender glanced over his shoulder. "I'm going to whip up a dust cloud for you two, "he gestured to Byron and the golden-haired earth-bender, "to hide in. I'll be out front using air-bending and waving my hands around. I'm hoping you two can see me well enough to supply the earth-bending."  
>I looked at him as if he was mad, but I could see the logic of his plan. Everyone knew that the Fire Nation were crazy-mad about finding the Avatar and would probably chase after any person seen bending more than one element or claiming to be the Avatar.<p>

'I can help,' I thought, a smile forming in my head. The smile inmediatly turned to a frown as I glanced at Byron; 'but what would he think.'

"I'm a fire-bender, I can do that for you," I blurted out, heart in my throat. They all turned to me shocked, Byron the most. I felt very small under his gaze but the air-bender cut through that

"That'll work as well. There's no water around here so that can explain why I'm not water-bending. Let's do this."

He bent the air around himself and leaped up high. High enough to see over the wall of flame and beyond. As the air-bender did whatever he was doing in the sky I turned my eyes to the wall of fire, and fell into an waiting stance, ready.  
>A cloud of dirt and dust fell around us, just thick enough to see the wall of flames but thick enough to just hide the other two from sight. The air-bender landed just in front of the cloud; The Fire Nation was quick to respond, sending balls of fire at him. I watched him deflected them easily enough and started waved his arms in a way similar to very bad earth-bending.<p>

The ground besides Xiang split and broke as a fissure raced towards the Fire Nation army. A massive wall of rock and earth rose from the ground at a frightening speed, stretching across the small clearing and into the forest on either side; clouds of dust billowed high into the air. The air-bender turned around in shock, so did I. The golden haired earth-bender still stood in the bending pose, hands raised above her head as if she lifted the wall with her arms rather than bending.

"That will slow them down. We've got roughly an hour before they find a way around it."

Xiang glanced at the wall and whistled in admiration of the girls skill before running towards Byron's people; I gave her a quick glance before following after him and Byron.

The chief, and the warriors were trying to help the villagers along, the seriously injured who were slowing down the group. I glanced at the wall again and realized that the villagers would not escape the army with the weak and injured.  
>I could see the air-benders heart break by the look on his face; my own felt close as I realized that to save the villagers the weak and injured would have to be left behind.<p>

The air-bender bowed his head and turned to Byron, about to voice this when the ground shook behind him.

Xiang and I turned around, the air-bender ran into a wall of pink and saliva. Annon had licked him again. Xiang took a step back and spat out the saliva that had gotten in his mouth and started trying to shake off the translucent goop. Suddenly his face lit up and he looked at the large six-legged bison.

"I've got it!"

Xiang turned to Byron and his father, waving his arms and throwing ropes of transluceant goop everywhere. "Get all the weak and injured on Annon's back. he'll carry them to the air temple."

Byron and his father shared glances. For a second I thought they wouldn't see the logic of his plan, or not trust him, and not go along with it.

Byron's father turned and barked at his people "Get the injured, sick and elderly on the back of that beast. You, you and You!" he yelled point at some of his warriors, "go along with them and fly this creature to the eastern Air temple.

"  
>Xiang let go the breath he was accidentally holding and turned to his bison. "You need to take these people to the air temple buddy. I need you to do this." Annon groaned and licked Xiang again, the airbender was too slow, before leaped over his head, coming down near the crowd of villages. I breathed a sigh of releif and went to go over and help when something Xiang said to Byron behind my back made me stop.<p>

"I'm going, and I'm going to try get the Fire Nation to follow me. Once I lose them I'm going to continue my search for the Avatar, so both of our people can be safe."  
>The prince nodded and glanced at his people for a solid minute before putting a hand on Xiang's spit covered shoulder, stopping him once again.<p>

"I'm coming with you."

"So am I," I said stepping forwards. "There's nothing to keep me here with the villagers now that they know I'm a fire-bender, and that-"

I glanced at the ashes of the fire wall, sorrow filling his eyes as my heart began to ache. _Mother_

I shook my head and tried to push the pain back; time to deal with that later. Before Xiang or Byron could say anything I turned to the golden haired earth-bender.  
>"What about you? You coming or going?"<br>"Any chance to get back at the Fire Nation. Besides, I've my own reasons to hunt down the avatar."

"Then lets stop talking and start running. That wall isn't going to stop the Fire Nation forever," Byron said. The unlikely team looked at the rocken barrier and nodded.


	9. 9 - Kayli

For several days the groups flees through the forests and valleys surrounding the village, the Fire Nation close behind. After days of chase they lose the fire Nation, but are low on supplies. After a tense argument the group decides to visit a nearby villager, under control of the Fire Nation. To travel to another friendly village would mean travelling for days without food or water, and the prospect didn't appeal to everyone.

We run for several days, barley getting enough sleep and supplies as we avoided the Fire Nation army carving a swathe through the countryside following us; no matter how far we get we can still hear them, or see their smoke and fires.

Finally after a week we lose the army but were dangerously low on supplies and in a arid dry area where little food grew and there was little water to be found. I remember shaking my head as the others argued over the best course of action. There was a nearby town that had fallen to the Fire Nation a few years back; someone suggested we could sneak into town and grab a few supplies. The air-bender argued that the risk was too great and that there was another friendly village not too far away, at least six days, but that meant travelling through this arid landscape with little to no food or water, and the prospect didn't appeal to everyone. Begrudgingly we agreed with sneaking into the Fire Nation town.

It took us a day to reach the town and we camped down on a ridge overlooking it so we could see what we were up against.

"So, what do we do?" Asked the air bender, who looked doubtfully at the village below us, the setting sun casting long shadows on the open space around the well fortified town.

"We kill as many as possible," I said reasonably, gesturing at the walls.

"Uh, no. We just lost the fire nation, that'd get em right back on our heels," The airbender replied, wiping a hand down his face as if in exasperation.

"Fine, then we sneak in?" I said, rolling my eyes.

"That's more like it," The fire bender said with a firm nod.

"Fuck, that's boring," I sighed, flopping down on the grass to gaze up at the darkening sky as the three of them argued over how to get in. They'd shied away from every bit of violence the whole way, hiding and slipping away from the fire battalion that was after us. The other earth bender, I didn't bother with their names, seemed to be getting frustrated at all the hiding and running as well. I was hoping I might have a valuable ally in him if it came down to fighting or running. After all, earth was the most powerful element and we had two wielders of earth.

"We could dig a tunnel?" I asked, closing my eyes, talking over their hushed conversation.

"They'll have earthquake sensors that'll catch us the second we start digging. Earth benders aren't exactly the most subtle of benders," The fire bender said, scratching his chin.

"Then you bend the earth into sand and haul it away. No noise or shake, just a little slower," The earth bender suggested, "Its difficult though,"

"I can do it," I shot at him and he gave an indignant look.

"So can I, I'm just saying we can't risk fucking it up," He defended his pride, a smirk crossing my face.

"Look, we're hungry and angry and need to get out of here before the Fire Nation catches us," the air-bender said, cutting between the other earth-bender and me. we glared at each before turning to him.  
>"Fine, what's you plan?" Byron asked.<p>

The air-bender looked back to the village and pointed at a quant building at the edge of the village.

"it's far enough away that we won't raise any alarms if we're quiet. and from there it's straight into the hills from there. Also it's a blacksmith."

"So," I asked.

The air-bender ducked behind the ridge and turned to me. "The Fire Nation is highly industrious with a large consumption of ore. Which means blacksmiths will have allot of work. which means allot of coin we could use."

"Plus if we damage the forge or the blacksmith himself then we could slow down production in this area," the other earth-bender added, peeking over the ridge. "Good idea Xiang."

"Hey that's your plan there, I just want to get in, grab the supplies and get out."

"Ok then. Let's get to work."


	10. 10 - Xiang

It took several hours to reach the blacksmith. We stood under the stone floor of the smith, Byron at the front with his spear at the ready as slowly he bent a hole large enough for us to fit and climbed through. I held my breath, waiting for the sound of someone finding Byron, when the prince stuck the bottom of his spear through the hole and waved it around. The signal it was safe. I let go of the breath I was holding and pushed myself through the hole with a gust of air. As soon as I was in the forge I made for the next room, being able to move quicker and quieter than the others; I caught the silhouette of Byron walking around the forge, spear in hand.

I stepped into the next room and pulled a small crystal from my pocket. As soon as I held it in my hand light poured weakly from the crystal, illuminating the room enough for me to see. I was standing in the living area, a small room with a few chairs here and there, a small fire pit in the middle and not much else. What striked me as odd was that the few furnishings didn't seem to appear Fire Nation, but-

"Where'd you get that crystal?"

I nearly let go of the crystal and jumped through the roof. Slowly I turned to Vica who had joined me, my body tensed and my deck disappeared into my body so my ears touched my shoulders.

"What?" I asked through my teeth.

"The light crystal, where did you get that?" he asked again innocently like nothing had happened. I let go of the breath I was holding and unbunched my shoulders.

"A cave near Omashu," I told him as I moved past the living room to the chests and bags at the end of the room. I opened a few to make sure they were what I was looking for; apples, pears, a few other fruits. I found several bags full of different meats, and although I wanted to leave them behind I knew the others didn't share my air nomad diet. I picked up the bags of meat and threw them at Vica, hoping he didn't drop them, as I grabbed the bags of fruit.

"What you got?" Byron asked, poking his head in as me and Vica made for the tunnel. I showed him the bags of fruits and told him about the meats in Vica's bags, both of which he agreed with and continued on his search.

I nodded to Vica and took a step towards the whole when the opening froze over suddenly. I stopped and dropped the bags, going for my fans; my staff was with the golden-haired girl in the tunnel, it was too large to bring up.

A ball of water shot from the darkness, nearly clipping my leg. I dodged out of the way, dragging Vica with me and sent a gust of air towards the shadows. A man rolled out of the darkness and whipped the water back around towards me. A ball of fire met in mid-air, raining the room with droplets and steam. The man growled and raised his hand, a bucket upturning itself as the water flew out towards us. With a grating sound the stone beneath the man rose up around him and closed around his body, trapping him. The water fell to the ground lifeless as Byron rushed over to the water-bender, spear at the ready; I told Vica to go melt the ice over the hole before joining Byron's side.

The man glared at both of us and spat. "Fuckin' bandits, as if i don't get enough trouble from the towns folk around here."

"Don't worry, we'll be gone soon," Byron said and rushed over to retrieve the dropped bags of food; I stayed with the man. I thought back to the furniture and decorations in the living room, Water tribe furniture and decoration, and grabbed the man by the hair, pulling his head back. In the dim light he appeared like any other person, except the eyes, a bright vivid blue only found among the water tribes.

"Are you Fire Nation?" I asked quickly

"No," was his answer.

"Do you have any love for the Fire Nation?"

"No."

"Are you in any way are Fire Nation spy or part of their army?"

"Fuck no,"

"If there was a way to stop the fire nation and stop the war would you get in the way?"

"Again, fuck no. I'd help!" the man growled, regarding me with curious, and intrigued, eyes. I bit my lip and stepped away from the man. A water bender from the water tribe living as a blacksmith, I guessed this was his house, in a Fire Nation controlled village.

"Xiang!"

"Give me a minute I'm thinking," I told Byron, not taking my eyes of the water-bender. He was an oddity indeed.

"We don't have a-"

A bell started to ring in town, making both of us jump. Vica swore and redoubled his efforts to melt the thick ice. I just turned to Byron. "When you stopped the blacksmith,"

"Yeah I figured!" he snapped at me and went to the hole. "Move," he yelled at Vica and stomped the ground. The ice shattered as the stones erupted into spikes or fell into the hole, almost taking Vica with it; As soon as the ice was gone Byron jumped into the hole. Vica looked from the hole to me and back before jumping in. I instead turned to the captured bender and started pulling at the rocks holding him.

"What are you doing?" he asked, the bell getting louder and faster.

"Taking you with us, that way you can't tell the village who we are," I said, struggling with the rocks; why did earth have to be so tough. The water bender laughed at my answer, "smart."

"Yeah that is."

The rocks shifted into a thin coat around the water-bender's torso, restraining his arms but not his legs. I turned around to see the golden-haired girl standing just below the hole, dropping her hands. She fixed me with a gaze and said' lets go Air-bender,' before dropping back in the hole.


End file.
